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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. can — a tin
  3. can — a tin
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. firm — a company
  6. mine — for digging
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. fall — the season
  10. key — for a lock
  11. rash — a series
  12. can — to be able to
  13. firm — steady
  14. season — of the year
  15. key — the most important part
  16. fall — to drop
  17. rash — hasty
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. key — in music
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. season — in sport
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. firm — decided
  24. fall — to drop

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com